In the past there have been continuing efforts to provide heat for engine oil and improved filtering to remove objectional impurities. This invention is an improved device which provides an electrically heated oil refiner for use on an internal combustion engine.
Representative prior patents are U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,084 for an Oil Reclaiming Device, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,583, also for an Oil Reclaiming Device. In the past such devices have been typified by a housing and a heater means arranged in the housing through which the engine oil must pass which also includes a filtering medium or bed. This invention is of an improvement in such oil reclaiming devices. It includes a novel lid wherein a plurality of spaced radially extending fins extend from a central oil well defining structure, toward, but not to, the walls of a mating housing. The lower ends of the fins and the central oil well defining structure are in abutting heat exchanging relation with a horizontal plate or septum spanning the housing. The plate has vertical passageways or orifices through which the oil flows in operation. The plate rests on a felt pad which in turn rests on a bed of filter material in the lower portion of the housing beneath the plate.
In the preferred embodiment, a check valve means is provided within the housing and the oil pump so that the oil remains in the housing at all times as is set forth and described more fully hereinafter. A heater for the lid in the housing is arranged in the central oil well defining structure; and a normally open pressure operated switch is provided in series with the heater to energize the heater in response to ignition to cause the oil in the housing to become heated promptly.